Return to Escape

There are other topics to get to, but as always, John Carpenter remakes tend to get first priority.

The first real news on the Escape From New York remake was breaking just before this blog began. Following the mammoth success of 300, Gerard Butler had been named to star as Snake Plissken in the remake. This news came much to the chagrin of Kurt Russell, who bemoaned anyone but him getting the part, let alone a non-American actor like the Scottish Butler. Later, Russell softened his stance, wishing the remake success.

New development: Len Wiseman is in talks to direct. Wiseman is fresh off the fourth part in the Die Hard series, which I believe is entitled Keep On Rockin' In The Die Hard, or Die Hard 4.0 in Europe. The Die Hard installment is Wiseman's seventh credited film (third as director, having started in the props department), and his first that doesn't feature a monster or alien. Chronologically: Stargate (did he meet Kurt Russell?), Independence Day, Men in Black, Godzilla, and his two directorial efforts, the very poor Underworld and Underworld: Evolution.

Script is by Ken Nolan and apparently combines the basic plot of the 1981 film with some prequel/reboot origin story built in. Nolan's only produced film screenplay is Black Hawk Down, although he's also working on an adaptation of Whitley Streiber's novel The Grays for Sam Raimi.

Escape From New York spawned a 1996 sequel, Escape From L.A., which was widely disregarded - but which screened at the L.A. Film Festival earlier this year under the "Los Angeles Destroys Itself" series, and was cited (at least by one enthusiastic program guide copywriter) as "ripe for rediscovery and appreciation."

Carpenter had interest in shooting a third flick, Escape From Earth, but it never materialized. Escape From L.A. had cleared only about half its $50 million budget domestically, topping out at just over $40 mil worldwide. An Escape From L.A. remake seems unlikely (the plot too similar to New York), so if the New York remake does well, perhaps the Earth project could reappear as the remake's sequel.